70 comments:

Anonymous
said...

In reading many of these posts, you folks are absolutely clueless about what ODP is, and is not. Including whether it is "relevant" or not. My advice is don't take advice from a parent via a blog. Get the FACTS.

ODP is a great resource to add to the soccer resume. My oldest went through the ODP process and now my youngest. I think it is up to personal experience. My opinion, it is similar to an individual’s experience on a club team, if you are not happy…..move on. Someone eluded to the fact that it is a “Money grab”. You have to “pay to play” everywhere…..club, elite, camps…etc. They are all “Money grabs”. Soccer in NJ is not free. Side note….my oldest is playing D1 soccer and my youngest is on a current ECNL team. The only issue that I have with ODP vs ECNL currently…..is the conflicting tournaments vs ODP commitments…..other than that….great experience. Based on my oldest daughters recruiting experience, the coach was impressed with the level of soccer she participated in (ECNL, ODP, ID camps, etc). If your child is college bound with the possible ambition to play soccer, I would think the soccer resume is key however you can make it work.

From what I have heard, if you are a team that is travelling, you have to book through the travel agency set up by PDA. If I am not mistaken, if a team indicates that they are travelling, PDA requires you to use that agency. We are local so obviously we have no need to use them but a friend travelling with their team said they have to book with the PDA required agency.

I agree. They are not updating the website fast enough or efficiently. They are using this app which is ok...not the best. ODP girls side seems like a mess for right now.....they took some 99 girls and moved them to the 98s. I noticed that the 99s possibly have more goalies than needed. They should move rotate them with the 99s and 98s. My daughter is on the 98s and she noticed that some of the girls have been missing practice.....they are probably with their teams at showcases. Curious to see how this weekends round-robin will play out.

If you look at all of the players that have been recruited - whether on the collegiate level or the national level - so many of them have ODP on their resume. That also includes ECNL players. ODP is another platform by which you can have your daughter assessed against and trained with some of the best players in the region. Whether your child has success at ODP also depends on your ability to be realistic about where your child falls on a state/regional/national level. As with anything, some girls show better than others. Sometimes it's just timing and the luck of the draw - maybe your daughter happened to perform really well while a regional/national coach was present. Maybe they played their best game ever and maybe no coach got a glimpse. Understand that ODP is not a guarantee. They will train your daughter in a manner that should give them an idea of what it takes to train and play at the highest levels. Whether your child can perform at that level is another issue. There are so many things that go into the process - physical ability, mental toughness, vision, the ability to think 4 or 5 steps ahead, perserverence, etc. . . Regional camp is grueling and a rude awakening for many players. But if your child can learn to adapt and keep focused it is a means that can open many doors. As they say at ODP "learn to become comfortable with being uncomfortable". The only way to grow as a player is to consistently challenge yourself. And that means pushing to the nth degree. So I believe that those who are so down on ODP probably went in with unrealistic expectations. They tell you that they get it wrong a good amount of the time - but also factor in that players grow (physically & mentally) at different rates so a player that may seem to have tons of potential at U-13 may fall behind later on or never develop to their "potential". A player that seemed behind at U-14 might develop their game, come back and be a standout at U-15. Keep your expectations in check and be realistic and you will see that ODP can provide a great vehicle for players to be seen at the higher levels - especially for those non-ECNL players.

My "Unrealistic expectations" would include quality training sessions, top notch playing conditions, fair evaluations and overall value for the money. The Odp staff see numbers declining but are including younger ages to keep their pockets full.

One game on turf and the rest on a dangerous cow pasture. I agree the potential is there for a great augment for some kids but the facilities are an embarrassment. How can you judge kids' technical ability when the surface cannot support it. Much rather play on all dirt than this garbage.

Uh huh We are talking about a fairly expensive ID program Not the neighborhood pickup or school ball of your distant past. Decent facilities are necessary to properly showcase technical ability. All dirt is acceptable. Long grass with rocks and intermingled bare spots do not allow for technical ability to be evaluated.

NJU16G were 2-1 after pool play and picked up a loss due to a substitution error that was protested by Virginia after beating them. The result of the protest was a 1-0 win for Virginia. So it changed their record to 1-2.

I heard about that and saw it change on the standings. Virginia protested but Region 1 ODP should have stuck with the original score due to the rules stated on the region 1 site “No protesting”. If anything, the refs should be held responsible, if that is possible. Hey Region 1 ODP…..poor management!!! Those girls probably worked hard for that win. Disappointing!!!

In defense of NJ or any team in that situation, the ref should have addressed the issue at the time of the match, with a yellow card at best, removal of the player off the field and/or a warning to the coach.

Yes, coaches are aware of the rules, that is why a “REFEREE” is there to enforce the rules at the time of the match. Anything after that is chalked up to history.

In my opinion, it is pretty lame to take away a win for the possible innocent infraction. If you are planning on going back in history to scrutinize that particular match, (if there is a video) why not review the whole match for potential yellow/red cards. Shame on the officials for missing that major detail and shame on the governing body that allowed the disqualification leading up to the loss.

Ha Ha…this is ridiculous!!! I will call this “Sub-gate”! Faith in Region 1 ODP management just went totally out the door. The standings for the Girl U16 bracket is mind blowing. Not only did they take the win away from NJYS 99GIRLS2015 and gave it to VA. They also removed NYWEST 1999 A from the #1 spot. They had nothing to do with “Sub-gate”. I wouldn’t be surprised if NYWEST 1999 and NJYS 1999 girls return to ODP. What does that say about how these young ladies view the management of soccer. I think these ladies understand that officiating a match is a toss-up due different varibles but when the powers that be (Region 1 ODP staff) make a decision like this……….they have to wonder…….”Is the game really over!?!” Correct me if I am wrong, have they ever turned over a result in any PRO matches or college matches!?!

Kudos to the VA coach for whining. Since your team is unable to put the ball in the net, you subject yourself to other methods of advancing. I hope the VA coach realizes the opportunity he took away from NYWEST 1999 to showcase in the semis. Hey!!... NYWEST 1999…. if no one apologized to you, I hope they (Region 1 ODP) do right by you and apologize. That is truly being hosed!!!!

No re-entry after a substitution with-in the same half. The rules stated that re-entry was not allowed. Parent said that the ref reminded the coaches of the re-entry rule at the half and everything seemed fine. My daughters 98 team was allowed to re-enter. It was great to see that the 98s were allowed to showcase. I would have assumed that they would allow the girls to showcase their talents. The 99 parent told me that the VA coach protested and the NJ win was overturned. VA was given the win and it shifted the whole bracket. NY West was told they won the bracket and then they were told that they did not win in order to advance to the semis. VA went from 3rd place to 1st place.

3:24 PM - I agree with you. Rule stands. If they want to make things right. Let the whole bracket advance and play everything over again. I know that...that would be impossible due to logistics/politics/finances...etc. but....really....... the only solution.....punish the kids....so they had was to overturn everything.

If the ref missed the substitution error, how is that any different then missing a hand ball or an offsides? How can you go retro and make a decision? I really cant believe that they did that. They have a no protest rule, so why doesnt NJ protest the protest? If they are to be consistent then they will have to give the win back to NJ.

For NJ, I don’t think it would have made a difference except for a possible shot at a wildcard spot but for NY West…they should be the ones contesting. They actually had the #1 seed and were definitely going to the semi-finals.

ODP completely political. The fact that you can only make a regional team by playing first for state team then by attending an $800 camp (with no exceptions made for playoffs conflicts), is proof of that. This is not an organization looking for best talent in Region 1 at a grass roots level - it's a Pay for Play to support their board and f/t employees.

It's the least political of all the id programs because a player can elect to tryout. id2 requires a coach's recommendation to get in and then coaches from certain clubs attend the camp and pave the way for their kids.

The region 1 team collects the top 10 kids who participated in the camp without a doubt. It's the next 8 on the boca interregional roster that can be quibbled about. The following is related to the girls program: There are about 20-30 or so (A and B id roster) kids at the same level and it comes down to subjective coaches preference at that point. Do one or 2 kids per year including all age levels get in because a coach's relationship gives him/her a nod in the group of 30 to make the roster of 18 and come off the bench? Yes probably but that's life. This program is one of the least political around, but will be attacked by those whose kids were not chosen until the end of time.

My kid has found success. We know no one, initially she played on a remote an obscure team without a coach's influence in the process. However, I will say that if your child is not of the level to make the regional pool it is probably best to spend that money on college ID camps instead. There is really little exposure at regional camp itself. The exposure occurs in Boca Raton.

ODP camp same as usual. Lots of waiting around and if your kid wasn't ID on the first day or at least on the bubble they will not make any R1 list. Question for others? Who pays for the Boca camp? Parents again?

With the rise of the ECNL, ODP has lost much of its cachet, go ask any collegiate coach. So with the majority of its players now NPL players, what do they do? ODP schedules its Region 1 Camp the same weekend as the NPL National Championship. Brilliant. Some of the best players will not be available to go with no alternative tryout offered and no refunds. That alone illustrates ODP is not seeking the best players, just the best players not on any championship caliber team and willing to pay for their camp. Sucks for the kids who worked hard, sacraficed and deserve that shot at a regional team or an International trip. Sad organization.

You would think they would coordinate with NPL or any other organization so that they would not conflict. There is more than enough soccer downtime in Region 1 to coordinate effectively. ODP Region 1 always finds a way to shoot themselves in the foot. Just one of many, and I mean many examples why players are falling off.

Yes last year they ran the boca interregional the same weekend as the national league event at casl. All national league teams were required to attend. Their concenssion our kids could come late and not start the first game having missed the entire reaining potion of the event. Played 7 games in 8 days. Missed several days and had to pay the full fee. I dont think they care about the top level. Conceeded it to US club.

Does anyone know how many goalkeepers they keep on the regional pool rosters? I have a 2002 daughter who is trying out this fall, and I was curious how many keepers they take. Any insight is greatly appreciated.

The 99 Region 1 pool list is out. Hardly any NJ 99 Girls made the Region 1 team. Two girls made the team. Jersey not represented too well at ODP all around this year. There are some spots here and there in some of the age groups. Politics of soccer.

I happen to be on the NJ 99 team and I can agree that I don't believe we were given as fair as a shot as states like Virginia. In the regional tournament we beat them 2-1 but it counted as a loss because of a reentry substitution issue. Not only did that give the Virginia team the win but it allowed for VA to win the bracket and go to finals instead of NYW, which was probably a better team. Virginia went on to win the entire tourament... The girls from NJ that did make the pool were great, but I don't believe we were given the fairest chance to prove ourselves on the pool.

My daughters team was out of PA but we heard rumblings that most of the coaches thought NJ had an overall pretty good team. Its unfortunate. Evaluations and tournament play should be a little longer and more organized in order to get a fair assessment of the girls. I trust that they (ODP) will get better.

At the closing ceremonies, an ODP staff member said that 180 girls tried out and 45 made the team. 2 of the 19 NJ99s made it. Although I'm sure the regional staff picked talented players for the team, us NJ players could of gotten another look.

There were conflicts with NPL finals and start of ECNL finals the same week as Region 1 camp. Not everyone was available to try out. Region 1 makes no accommodations for players on teams that advance on in these league finals. Really bizarre, when you read their mission statement which is to "identify elite level Region 1 players and facilitate their selection to the U.S. National team program." It should really state instead "identify elite level Reg 1 players who pay the fees to participate in their state Odp program and our regional camp, and who choose to attend Reg 1 camp instead of playing with their teams competing for national championships."

yeah but if players weren't first identified through the state program then you would have hundreds of kids who were cut at the state level trying out for regionals. I know that you mean that it's rather expensive process and I'll agree, but it would be impossible to identify players if there weren't measurures taken to first narrow down the group.

I don't think that was his point. The point was that some of the kids who made the state ODP team and would have been eligible to participate in the regional ID camp could not due to important league finals that directly conflicted with the camp. This disallowed several players and seem to be counter to the mission statement of the program. I agree.

I agree that it was problematic to have them occur at the same time but was the national championship scheduled during the program? Not only is it ODP's mistake but also the nation championship's as well. I know more kids that skipped the championships for ODP than vise versa. So it didn't interfere with "identifying elite players" as much as it did interfering with college showcasing.

Here's a good article that speaks to the ODP vs ECNL/DA subject that sums up what I have a parent have noticed in terms of what has and hasn't developed my kids, who have been selected to play at the highest levels our state has to offer. I'll post an excerpt, and then at the bottom, a link to the rest of the article.

The Role of ODP Programs

So how do parents decide which programs to choose and how much is too much? Let’s start by looking at the difference between an ODP type of program and a league program. It’s important to explain the distinction since many parents don’t understand the difference and are often comparing apples to oranges.

A league is a club competition involving games between club teams. Examples of leagues are the state Classic League or Athena League, the Region III Premier League, the ECNL, the US Soccer Development Academy, the US Youth Soccer National League, the Super Y League, etc.

An ODP type of program is a process of identifying the best players from among all the club teams in a league and providing the very best players with development opportunities as well as events that serve as National Team tryouts. It’s like a league all-Star team. An ODP type of program is theoretically a level higher than league play. That is why one cannot compare a league, be it the R3PL or ECNL, to the ODP.

So when people claim that the ECNL or the US Soccer DA renders the ODP redundant and that players don’t need to do ODP if they are playing in a high level league, such claims are missing the point of the role an ODP type of program fulfills.

The role of the ODP is to help the ’10 percenters’. In sports, as in school, roughly 10% of the participants at any level are too advanced for that level and need to be pulled out, permanently or periodically, and challenged at a higher level. Otherwise, they will not reach their potential.

Parents beware of club coaches who tell you that your son or daughter doesn’t need ODP. The chances are this club coach simply doesn’t want to share your child’s available time and family soccer budget with another program. It’s like a teacher telling a parent that their child doesn’t need to do the ‘gifted’ program because the teacher is so good.

@10:41 Great post. My daughter is involved with ODP and also plays on one of the top ECNL teams in the area. Yes...it is expensive to do both but my experience playing team sports has been....any development/exposure has its advantages....especially at that level. I am not sure about the rest of the parents but my daughter wants to play at the highest level possible. Aside from that, she would like to play in college. Regardless if it is D1 or D2, if a scholarship opportunity presents itself due to her involvement with soccer/academics, I am up for any assistance paying for college.

The best quote of the day.... "It’s like a teacher telling a parent that their child doesn’t need to do the ‘gifted’ program because the teacher is so good." We get the same comment from coaches and some of the parents on the team. Please....do not tell me or my child how to manage our time and money. As long as it doesn't interfere too much with club participation. Please keep your mouth shut. Good job @10:41....Good job!

I agree 100%. Many higher level kids have dropped out because they didn't make the interregional rosters. There is now a big gap between the top kids who have a fighting chance of being identified at regional camp and most of the rest. Although I have noticed some filtering back of some of the kids who didn't make the highest rosters because they think they have improved to a more competitive level or that some of the competition s dropping out as they become committed. the regional teams are still capturing at least half of the top talent available, but not by any means all of it. Enough that the coaches still line the fields at the tournament

DA is a USSF free to play program. The ODP players want to be identified by the USSF. Apples to oranges - please. YES, DA is the top of the pyramid when it comes to boys elite soccer, if there is no DA near boy then yes ODP is an option, but it's only an option becasue there was no DA team.

Same can be said about ECNL or the new Girls DA - it will be the top of the pyramid.

Just for the record if we are talking USWNT players - you know right off the back who has that potential - you can see that in a few minutes they are that much above any other player and they don't come accross as robotic. They know what to do before they even get the ball.

That doesn't mean stop trying, NWSL is an option for every girl that plays premier soccer now if they stick with it. The players are older and because of that they had more years with a ball but are not technically superior and if NWSL is not your cup of tea - playing in Europe is alos an option don't expect to get paid millions, but an apartment, car and some loot you are guaranteed in almost every european country.

DA is free? Are you kidding? Fees are currently $2200+ in several DA programs, just the base fee, not including travel. Players here are told to set aside $7000 minimum to play either DA or ECNL. In fact, I was surprised by some of the top players that left the DA and ECNL program in my area. A head recruiting coach at one of the D1 schools told me the ECNL started out great, but now it's a joke and it's all political. He said he looks at showcase events, ODP, etc to find good players.

Sorry, I couldn't keep *my* mouth shut when I read BS either.

As I don't need to argue with someone drinking the kool aid, a waste of time really, I suggest for everyone else that the mind is a parachute that only works best when open. Read the article, look around, see what programs are truly developing your child.

MLS DA teams are free and so are others no BS that's a fact.ODP players want to be identified by USSF scouts also a fact if they want to play NT.DA top of youth soccer pyramid for boys also a fact.ECNL top of youth soccer pyramid for girls

So when I say a NT level player will stick out in a few minutes at any state level ODP program - you disagree I guess and your calling that BS?

Or when I say NWSL players are only more technical than our kids because they have been playing longer and they are not very technical, you disagree with this is this BS?

Almost all of the top top teams in UEFA offer their players an apartment/car plus some loot is that BS?

My child too has done both ODP and ECNL. However the state teams are much weaker than they used to be and aren't that much fun. Most of the very top players at the younger ages quit the program when they got invited to national camp. A few have come back after being excluded from a roster. Many good but not great players quit when they didn't make the regional teams. I can't argue with that logic if you really believe your kid isn't regional level although some kids did get some interest at the recent state ODP tournament. Some solid kids, even some ECNL kids, have come to ODP at later ages to throw in their hat at regional camp. However, the state rosters have a huge drop off in level from the top of the roster to the bottom.

The first college interest my kid got was through the ODP interregional. There are always coaches lining the sidelines. I will say after attending many ECNL events that there are more coaches per game at the interregional because there is only one or two games happening at any given time. However, the ECNL events are also excellent.

That said, this year the player profiles will not list the player's teams if they play for an ECNL team. They will list the player's contacts and list them as "independent". That is fine if they are juniors, but not fine for the 9th and 10th graders since NCAA rules prevent a coach from directly contacting the players. Hopefully the regional coaches will pass on any interest. It probably won't be a big deal since the uncommitted kids can write letters to colleges of interest with their coach's contacts included. Probably won't accomplish anything except USYSA thumbing its nose at US club.

My kid looks at ODP as just another avenue for both college and national exposure. She is a solid player, but not amazing enough to get a chance at one of the YNTs camps. So maybe she gets lucky and kills it at one of the events, ODP or ECNL,and gets the invitation she's been working toward. Its not that much time and its a bit expensive, but not outrageous. She loves the regional team, has made quite few friends from other states and we believe it's worthwhile as a supplement to the ECNL.

@8:27 I agree with you. I think most of us (parents) have to mentally remove ourselves from the thought of which program is better and maybe focus on what avenue our child would like to take regarding their soccer development. We have to remember that some soccer programs are not accessible to certain individuals. (ie: ECNL team may not be financially attainable and/or centrally located, same with ODP). You gravitate towards what makes sense for you as a family. I am pretty happy that there is some type of soccer available for youths. The cream of the crop always…..well…..almost always rises to the top.

"July 23, 2015 at 8:27 AM" and "July 24, 2015 at 8:43 AM" both get it. All of these programs are about developing our youth's talents and giving some - but not all inclusive - ways for them to showcase those talents. There is no sure ticket to "making it", and no avenues that absolutely exclude you from it either. If you can do both, it's so much better for your young player. If you can't, do what you have access to. Both are meaningful programs to participate in.

I know of a kid here, he's 21. Got a full ride to a D1 school by playing for his high school (nope, didn't do anything of these lucrative programs, DA, ODP, any of it), and had his brother video tape it. He sent it to a few D1 schools, got one to take an interest, and went to an ID camp. Now he's getting his engineering degree while playing for them. Is he exceptional? Yes he is. The level of talent, how quick his feet are, is really something to watch. I still pay for my child to participate in all the best opportunities she wants to that I can provide. But I'm just saying....coaches want talent, and they don't care what league your child played in to acquire it.

At "July 20, 2015 at 2:58 PM", I think I'm not allowed to respond to your BS in any fashion. Every attempt I have made, whether by mentioning names politely without insults, or just general facts, seems to get a post deleted.

The DA is not free, and there are several DAs that charge money, lots of it, to play. The DA is also not the only place to find top talent. Simple, succinct. Let's see if this post gets deleted as well, as I honestly don't know what rule I violated in my last carefully written, factual post.

And the main point I have been trying to address is this: the DA and the ECNL are leagues. They do not replace ODP or the associated quality of coaching that you will get, especially as you rise on to state and regional teams and the fact of the matter is that ODP is not a parallel program to the DA; it is not similar to the DA. It is something different entirely that is meant to complement leagues and clubs. The previous posters understood all of that, which is why one would put one's child in both the ECNL and ODP. That's the right answer that's the best answer and that's the one that is in the interests and development of these young players. Expose your kid to a variety of coaches, players and talent. It's also good for them to continue to have to earn a place, rather than be handed it.

I hope this post doesn't also strangely get deleted. Truth is truth, and I hope the forum doesn't have any rule against it.

at "DA is a USSF free to play program. The ODP players want to be identified by the USSF. Apples to oranges - please. YES, DA is the top of the pyramid when it comes to boys elite soccer, if there is no DA near boy then yes ODP is an option, but it's only an option becasue there was no DA team."

You must be talking about something other than the USSF Developmental Academy for which talent selection is often politically based and for which such programs are attached to local clubs, not free range organizations trying to pick the top talent in the area. The only organization that is anywhere close to being free of such biases is the ODP programs nation wide. Not only are such academies extremely expensive, but they only garner the talent of the particular clubs they are associated with, not necessarily the top talent in any given city.

either that, or you happen to be very lucky and have something other than what is being seen in such "academies" in other parts of the country. Don't get me wrong. It's a decent program, but they look like any other elite team in our area, and our state team, if ever there were a match up (though of course the USSF won't allow it and has done everything in its power to prevent cross training to truly see who makes it on the pitch), would pretty much smash the local academy team.

In fact, there are kids here who couldn't make the regional teams. THEREFORE, they decided to go the Academy or ECNL program.

wait..is @1:04 saying that the ODP team would smash a his/her local academy?Excuse me while I ROFL. In my area its Red Bulls and PDA are the big academies. Are you saying the NJ ODP team would smash them? That's the most asinine thing I have ever heard. Tell me I read your post wrong.

While I am at it @1:07, of course it would be great to do something like ECNL AND ODP, but your your talking about an easy 10-12K expense.For most families, it's not an endless bucket of money.

I do not believe the relevance of ODP has decreased because of leagues (as many are saying)but rather because of newer competing programs.

ID2 - USclubsoccer created ID2 which serves the same purpose as ODP Positives:It is free, It offers the same exposure level to US Soccer federation representatives as ODP. Negatives: It is not open to all potential candidates are recommended by Clubs leaving more politics to get your foot in the door than ODP.

US Soccer training Centers - US Soccer Federation created US soccer Training Centers to both offer High level training and direct evaluation for Youth National team programsPositives: Created and staffed directly by US soccer federation representatives. US Soccer training centers are periodic training run throughout the year offering both high level training and direct evaluation for Youth National team inclusion. US Soccer training Centers are free.Negatives - No open tryout, you must be recommended by a club DOC or identified by US Soccer Federation Staff to receive an Invite. This is a very grey area of how to get an invite. US Soccer does note that if a club recommends players not up to the expected quality level it will eventually reduce their ability to recommend additional players.

ODP - The original USYouth Soccer Identification Program.Positives: ODP is all inclusive anybody can attend if they can afford it. Leads to eventual evaluation by US Soccer federation.Negatives: ODP costs a fair amount to participate and more money to move to regional level. It is not until regional levels that any US Soccer federation representatives are involved/interested.

My Opinions - ODP is not Dead or irrelevant, rather it is less relevant that it was 5-10 years ago. I have heard that the Boys side of ODP is less relevant than the girls side but have no first hand knowledge so I am including that in the "opinion" area. ODP has been a huge money maker for USYouth Soccer, however there are now other players in "ID" market so they really need to revisit their cost vs. benefit.

I think you are pretty close to right @1232However, I will say that the first most gorls got a USSF invitation was through the "national ODP" camp at U13. Most of the first U14s were first national ODP camp invitees. After the first few camps there were more added through regional U14 ECNL events like the big showcase in Greer SC.

USSF scouts are very visible at ECNL events sitting between the coaches at midfield with their US Soccer garb on display. They are also very visible at the thanksgiving interregional, national league events and at USYSA nationals.

Last year for perspective: ODP Boca Raton interregional $375 for lodging (jammed 4 in a room, but they didn't seem to mind), most food (lunches not included) transportation from airport and from hotel to venue and back and training and coaching. I paid about $350 for airfare. I sent $200 with my child for lunch and t-shirts. I didn't ask for the change back so my bad. I didn't go myself as there was excellent supervision and the kids are required to stay with the team.

Seattle was a lot more expensive. $520 airfare, $1400 hotel and the food was pretty expensive. Have to stay in team assigned lodging or we could have done it cheaper. I went although I might have been able to have one of the other parents take my kid.

ODP is definitely cheaper than ECNL, but the combination has worked for my kid. Though I don't consider the entire process a business venture, she will have an excellent ROI on her choices. She will have a substantial (>75%) athletic scholarship to a major top University to help us carry forward her education and soccer. We aren't sure whether she will qualify ultimately for Academic to fill in the rest or not yet.

@ 10:54, is everyone on this discussion board supposed to be from New Jersey? I think that makes a huge difference in the discussion because you may be experiencing something in New Jersey for your ODP versus DA program where as someone else in a different part of the country may have an entirely different experience. I think we all need to be careful of taking an experience that might be specific to one city and then universalizing that to the entire country,, or so objective observer's would suggest.

Why is always one program vs the other? They all are good in differnet ways.

Yes, DA is the top for recruitment and is pretty much a golden ticket recruiting wise, coaches line up for the acadewmy showcase and lots recruited there pretty easily. Yes and the DA players range from really good to superb (not all DA clubs/coaches the same in what they look for ie true talent vs just built like a tank)

That said, the DA has like 2% of HS age players, and to say all the other 98% cant play or not worthy for college years later is ridiculous- if you look at the DA teams for example they are the stronget athletes, that's fine , but others mature later, or don't join da for a variety of reasons.

ODP is a viable option if your not on DA at the time, if your talented and get ID's it is absolutely great to say in email to college coach and will often put you in the most looked at group in college camps- my own kid is of that age and tons of times his group "happened" to be filled with DA/Odp players and "happened" to be with the head coach.

I don't have a girl, but know others on it and yes arelike DA is good competition and exposure- but of course there are plenty of non ecnl girls that have good talent or will by college age.

Bottom line DA and ECNL make it easier to get notice (ie prescreened and college know you play at certain level) followed by ODP then high school honors (of course if all American or something is as good or better then DA).

Of course bottom line is if you can play best coaches don't care if you come from the moon- if you are truly that good and fell through the cracks/mature late whatever and are the top few at a college camp that coaches will take you - but will have to really stand out as coaches prob haven't haerd of you before ( and they look at others they heard of more closely).

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